Automatic head-gate.



K". F. KEELER.

AUTOMATIC HEAD GATE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1916.

1,216,698. Patented Feb. 20, 1917. v

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- HIM I Z6 housing 9 which extends laterally for receiving and guiding the shut-off valve. Said shut-off valve is, in the present design, operated by means of a rack 10 which meshes with a pinion 11 fastened at the lower end of a rod 12. The upper end of this rod has a hand wheel 13 by which it is rotated.

The headgate consists of a sheet 15 of metal mounted so as to slide vertically just behind the front sheet 4. It is guided Vertically by two antifriction rollers 16 located at either edge and mounted upon studs 17 supported in the casing 3. The arrangement of the parts is perhaps best shown in Fig. 2. Attached to and forming part of the headgate is a box or receptacle 20 which is approximately cylindrical, especially at the back. Thisreceives water through the front opening 21 in the headgate 15, as best shown in Fig. 1. Screen 22 is desirable to prevent floating objects from entering the box. It will be noted that the opening 21 is located off center-in the present instance being at the left of the center when viewed as in Fig. 1. The object of this is two-fold. First, it will not be affected by the shut-off valve 7 until the latter is nearly closed; and second, it admits water in a stream entering from one side of the box. Consequently, the flow tends to create a whirl or vortex in the box and prevents the deposition of sediment. A hole 23is formed in the bottom of the box approximately at the center and this permits the escape of :the sand laden water, and hencethe combined result isto keep the box clean and free. i i

The headgate and its attached water box are suspended upon a spring 26 which seats upon a stationary bracket or shelf 27 fastened horizontally and centrally in the casing 3., The spring is in the form of a pyramidal spiral and at the upper end sup ports a rod 28 which passes down through a hole 29 in the bracket 27 and attaches to a cross brace 30 fastened. to the top of the water box. The parts are so arranged that the rod 28 will be in line with the'center-of gravity of the parts suspended thereon, the result being that the need of guiding means to prevent sidewise motion of the headgate and water box is practically eliminated. In

other words, the parts are suspended from the center and'even without any extraneous guiding means there would be little, if any, tendency of the parts to stick as they move up and down under the variations of load. By preference the guiderollers '16 are set obliquely and run in a channel 32- formed where the gate sheet 15 projects beyond the sides of the water box 20. The result is that these rollers prevent the box and gate from rotating about the central vertical axis of the box. They also prevent the horizontal pressure of the water in the space 6 from pushing the box backward against the back the headgates shown in my prior patents.

As the level of water in the source varies, it

'will vary the amount of water in the Water box and hence will vary the weight imposed upon the suspending mechanism. This will automatically raise or lower the headgate, and consequently increase or decrease the area of theoutlet port 5, thus regulating the quantity of water passing through outlet port 5 in accordance with the desired regulation, for example, a constant discharge.

In thepresent form, in which the water box and headgate are suspended upon a pyramidal coiled spring, the base of the spring rests upon the supporting bracket 27. As the weight in the box increases, the amount of spring in contact with its support will increase. This is due to the fact that the lower turns of the spring are of greater diameter than the upper turns and hence there is agreater leverage toward the bottom-of the spring. The spring differs, therefore', from a truly helical spring Where, un-

der normal circumstances, the movement of each turn would be uniform. As the amount of spring'in contact with the shelf increases it has the efiect ofshortening the movable portion of the spring and hence has an effect equivalent to stiffening the spring. Consequently, uniform increments of weight do not, in my construction, produce uniform increments of downward movement of the box and headgate. This makes it possible for the device to operate in harmony or so closely in harmony with the laws of hydraulics as to renderthe device accurate for all practical purposes.

It will be understood that it is desirable to construct the metallic parts of non-corrosive sheet metal. As there are, practically speaking, no hearings or hinged'joints, there is practically nothing to get out of order and inspection will be required at very infrequent intervals.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a headgate, the combination of a water box having a headgate attached thereto, and suspending means supported at a single point and attached "to said box approximately in line with the center of gravity thereof.

2. In a headgate, the combination of a water box having a headgate attached thereto. andv provided with a receiving opening at the side,aflstationary support, a single spring mounted upon said support, and sus pending means connected atwone end to said spring and at the other end to said water box, approximately in alinement with the center of gravity of the latter- 3. In combination, a fluid conduit, a casing rising therefrom, a water box vertically I 4. In a headgate, a stationary support, a

single spiral spring seated upon said support, and a headgate suspended from said spring, the point of attachment of the gate to the spring being in alinement', vertically with-the center of gravity of the gate,

5. In combination, a condui-thaving a casing rising therefrom, a water box vertically movable in saidzcasing, said box having a headgate attached thereto and a receiving opening in the side, a single spring seated upon sald caslng, said spring being intheform of a pyramidal spiral with its larger end fastened to said casing, and a connecting rod attached to the smaller end of the spring and attached to the water box, said rod being coincident with a vertical line fastened to the center of gravity of the Water box and its attached headgate.

6. In combination, a conduit having a casing rising therefrom, a water box vertically movable in'said casing, said box having 'a headgate attached thereto and a receiving opening in the side, a pyramidal coiled spring seated at its lower end upon said casing, a rod fastened to the upper end of said spring and fastened to said water box, and means for guiding the moving parts in a vertical direction.

7. A device of the class described comprising a conduit having a casing risingrisin a conduit havin a casin risin therefrom, an approximately cylindrical water box in said casing, said water box hav-' ing a headgate attached thereto and a receiving opening in the side, suspending meansfor said box, said suspending means being substantially coaxial with the vertical axis of the box and being confined at one point; substantially to the line of the central vertical axis ofthebox and therefore being substantially without effect to prevent the rotation of said box about its vertical axis, and means for preventing said box from rotating about its vertical axis. 1

9.' A device ofthe'class dBSCI'IbGdyCOIHI-t prising a conduit having a substantially cylindrical casing rising therefrom, an ap proximately cylindrical water box in said" casing, saidwater box having a headgate'attach'ed'to; it and a receiving opening in the side, suspending means for said box, said suspending meansbei'ng substantial-1y coaxial with thecentral axis-of the box and confined at one .point substantially to the line'of the central-axis of the box and therefore being substantially unable to prevent the rotation of-the box about its vertical axis, and anti-friction rollers interposed between thesides of the-casing and the sides of the box-for pre'venting the boxfromrotating about its central vertical axis.

10." A device'of the class described having a conduit provided with a substantially cylindrical casing surmounting it,v a front sheet extending across said casing near the front of it and arranged vertically, a water box having a receiving opening in the side and a headgate parallel and adjacent to said front sheet, a pyramidal spiral spring seated at its lower end upon said casing and having its central axis coincident with a line passing vertically through the center of gravity of the water box, a rod' fastened to the upper smaller end of said spring, the lower end of said rod being fastened to said water box for suspending it.

11. In a device of the class described, a conduit surmounted by a substantially cylindrical casing, an upright front sheet extending across said casing near the front, a water box in said casing, said water box having a headgate attached thereto parallel and adjacent to said front sheet, said water box being suspended at a single point approximately in line vertically with the center of gravity of said water box, whereby said water box would be capable of rotating about its own central axis, said headgate having a receiving opening near one side whereby the water entering would have a tendencyto rotate said water box about its central axis, and means for preventing rotation of said water box about its central axis.

12. In a device of the class described, a

rising therefrom, a front sheet arranged vertically in said casing and having an opening at'the bottom through which liquid may flow along the conduit, a vertically movablewater box in said casing, means for yieldingly supporting said water box, said boxhavmg a hole in the bottom, a headgate fastened to the box in position to move vertically in 'a plane parallel and adjacent to and behind said front sheet, said gate having an off-center opening near the bottom for admitting water to the water box, and creating awhlrl or circular movement of the Vwater in the box. V

' 14:. In combination, a conduit having a cylindrical casing rising therefrom, a transverse front sheet arranged vertically said casing a slight distance behind the foremost point of the casing, thereby forming a well I at the front of the casing, the front sheet terminating short of the bottom of the conduit whereby water may flow past the front sheet, and a headgate movably mounted behind said front sheet, said headgate being 'yieldingly suspended and provided with a -mounted on said casing, the planes of said rollers pointing obliquely inward toward each other and toward said channels for holding the box in its proper position when moving vertically. V V V In wltness whereof, I have-hereunto subscribed my name. 7

KARL r. KEELER.

Copies. of this 'patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. V 

